Say hello to the BionicWheelBot, a robot that draws inspiration from the Moroccan flic-flac spider. If threatened, the spider scurries away by performing forward or backward flips.
Professor Rechenberg, bionics professor at the TU Berlin, collected the first specimen of this spider in 2008. Later, he developed a 25-cm long robot model based on the spider’s movements, according to ScienceDaily.
Now Prof. Rechenberg, along with Festo, a Germany-based industrial control and automation company, have used this unique rolling locomotion to further develop the robotic design.
“Since its discovery, Prof. Rechenberg has been working on transferring its movement patterns to the technical field,” according to Festo. “The studies into the spider’s behavior led to the design of various robots that can propel themselves on difficult terrain.”
According to the Festo brochure, the BionicWheelBot uses six of its eight legs to move. Each step consists of three legs on the ground, and three legs lifted in the air. The two extra limbs are used for push-off assistance, and are folded up when the robot is walking.
All eight legs “are controlled by a total of 15 small motors, which fit in the knee joints and body. There are also 14 automatic-locking worm gear units that ensure that the spider only has to use energy when moving its legs—not, however, to keep its body upright when standing still.”
To move each leg, the design is supported by a sophisticated spring mechanism, which is fitted in every knee and shoulder joint.
When in rolling mode, the robot enlists the help of its inertial sensor, which keeps track of its exact position. As it cruises in this mode, the design increases its speed and can even traverse through rough terrain.
The BionicWheelBot will be featured April 23 to 27 at the Hannover Messe 2018, the world’s leading trade show for industrial technology.
Watch the spider-like creation in action in the video below.
